Draft-gear.



H. T. KRAKAU. DRAIN GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JUNB30.1910.

Patented Feb. 1 1, 1913.

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WITNESSES H.T.KRAKAU.

DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILED AJUNE 3o,.191o.

PaxentedFeb.11,1913

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WITNESSES H.T.KRAKAU. DRAFT GEAR. APPLIGA'IION NLLD JUNEO, 191),

Patented Feb. 11,v 1913.

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A H.T.KRAKAU.

DRAPTGEAR. APPLIGATIdN HLQD JUNE 30,1910.

Patex'lted Feb. 1.1, 19u13.4

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i Umm@ srn'rns PATENT ormoni.

.A HARRY T. KRAKAU, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABIE CASTINGS COMPANY, on cnnvnnmmjbmon cenronman oF oHIo.

Pwr-eme...

i Specicatnn of Letten Patent.

. Application med June so, 1910.' serial No. 569,781.

Patented Fee'jii. 1913.

To aZZ'wwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY T. KRAKAU, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gears, of which the following is a f ll, clear, and exact description, reference breing had to the accompanying drawings, forming'part of this specification, in which- Figure l is la, view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section-of a portion of preferred embodiment thereof, and which 'a car under framing having my improved draft gear applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on theline IAL-'II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section `of aportion of the gear on a larger scale; Fig. 4 `is a section on the lines IV-IV of'Fig. '2; Fig. 5 is a section'on the vlines V--V of Fig.

3; and Fig. 6 is a `detail view of one'o'f the f parts, and hereinafter morefully described. My invention has relation to draft gears, and is desi ed to provide a gear and buffer 'whichfwill distribute the strains upon the buffer in a direct line and to the best advantage of the car and-other material offering resistance.

A further object is toprovide a construetion so-arranged as to absorb substantially all buiiingstresses through the buifer only and all pulling stresses through the coupler only. `Other objects and' advantages of my invention' will hereinafter appear.

The nature of the invention will be best understood -by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown the will now be described, it being premised, However, that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the various parts by those` skilled in tion, pero" caused to 'the art without departing from the spirit and scope .of my'invention as defined in the appended, claims.I

f Inthese" drawings, the numeral 2'desig- 'Bates the centersills of the car, which, in .order to enable'theiapplication of my invenspreado'r diverge forwafdly of'l the bolster -soas to admit -Tof rlaterel movement of the buffer.

3 1s abuier segment, wleh islin this case,

v efcasting wlichffits between and iri idly secured diverging forward s of the sills-2,'fan which 1s mede stron enen h to receive ali blows delivered to it. n er to relieve the 'bolts or rivets by which this asting is sured to the sills, it is preferbly formed with. a lip 4 at each end, these lips abuttin against the forward ends of the center sil The casting is of segmental fer 'segment 3 in .thepinannerclearly shownl in Figs. 2 and 3. f

, 7 isA a radiallyfswin v' draft -rnember which is pivotally connecte .by l'a pin 8 with a pivot castlng 9 which is rigidly secured between the straightportions of the Acenter sills in the rear of thelr point of divergence and which also acts as a bolster filler; The entire draft gear swings radially about the .pin 8 as a center. The draft member is lformed with a downwardly offset portio1`17 at its forward end, which extends underneath the shank of the main buffer casting and also underneath the buffer segment, and

which is constructed to for-m a case, or

pocket for the draft rigging. The rear portion of the draft member extends backwardly from the' intermediate portion 7b in a substantially horizontal directionand in alinement with the shank of the main buffer casting and with the pivot casting.

.interposed between the rear end of the buffer shank and the radially swinging draftv member, are buffer springs 10 land 11. These are preferably in twin arrangement, each having one spring) placed within the other, the inner one eing an auxiliary spring which normally keepsthe buffer out in advance of the coupler, although not offering a heavy resistance, to thereby permit the couplers to couple easily and at the same time eliminate the possibility of a gap between the buffers' even though the coupler knuckles wear. Until the couplers are coup1ed, these auxiliary springs 10 offer the onl resistance. Any further compression ofy the buffer, however acts directly against the heavy outside coils 11.

The draft rig g may be of any suitable character.` In t e form shown, it consists of two springs 12 and 13 arranged in tandem, the spring 12 .being seated between a ,front follower 14 and a ceiiteiblock or ingnber 15; and the rear spring 13. being seated bet-Ween Said block and the rear follower 16. A `transverse pin 17 passes looselyY through the block 15. and into the sidev wallsl of thev draftrigging pocket or case, thereby permitting sufficient 4vertical movement of the draft rigging and coupler and provid-- ing means in a draft gear of this character,

which will permit vertical inoveinntfof the coupler head so that Acouplers when coupledA ticalmo'vement by4 their attachments to the car, would Acauselthem to angle. with each other in a-'vertical plane,itliei'eby resulting in disastrous strains to vtheir parts or to the car struct-ure. 1S is a coupler, which is also of any suitable type; and which coupler is provided with bottoni-operating mechanism 19. The shank of the coupler rigidly secured to the yolteQO, which is placed within the ,draft rigfriiigycase lor pocket, and which surrounds the followers and draftrigging springs in the usual manner. lThe lforward spring 12is interposed merely ,to keep the coupler' out to its propel' normal distance. ,The rear draft spring is of sutlicient capacity pulling' strains.

' The forward cndof the draft gear is supported on the under side of the inain buffer casting, this support,as shown in Figs; 3, 4 and 5, being formed in part by depend-l i ing lugs 23a on the main buffer casting, and

in part by a. buffer shank filler. This filler .comprises two castingsQl, which ,slide into the buifer shank from opposite sides, and are secured by through-bolts 21a. These twosections of the filler have depending inwardly projecting jaws with `horizontal faces 22, which engage corresponding bearing faces on the under side of lateral flanges or'projections 23 on the draft gear case or pocket. These liller castings act as spacers for the prongs of the buifer'shank at the rear end. Being chambered in their rear portions, they also form housings and' seats for the inner springs of the ',buder, and also a shoulder against which the prongs of the buffer shank abut. l

The draft gear is provided guiding connections witli'the truckso-as to automatically guide the coupler andbu'licr to the center of the trackregardlessfas to. n-'hether the car is on a straight track or In the arrangement shown, these guiding connections consist of jaws 24, which depend from the 'rear portion of the gear case' or pocket, and which embrace' spring 'plungers 25 mounted in suitable-- upon a curve.

bea-rings` on the car truck frame.

The operationwill be readily understood.

to receive and transmit all` l y v My invention contemplates the application contact 'with an opposing buiiin'g When,l however, a collision takes place, the with suitable,

The guide connections just describedcause the .movements of the cai` truck to. move` the buffer adcoupler to the center of the track,

.Subtantially iallbutiing stresses` are taken up bythe-springs 10 and 11, the springs 1() receiving the' first compression as above dev scribed, the springs '11 taking the manicompression; and after 'the limit of capacity of these springs has been exhausted, the main4 f butler casting takes a solid buffer bearing on the buffer segment, 8. a

By removingthe transverse pin 17,. theassembled draft rigging may readily be withdrawn fro-iii the lfront of the case or -,pocket for replacement or repairs. i

Another feature of my invention oonsists inthe construction ofthe buiiingface of the buffer casting 5, whereby normally a flat bufling surface is presented, but whicht in the event of collision, will have an anti'- climbing action. The ends of a'car or car platform have heretofore been provided...

with ribs or projections of such' character that in the event of a collision'in which the resulting shockv is suiiicien't to drive back `the couplers and draft gears .and allow lthe car ends lto come 'in contact, these ribs or projections and corresponding seats or de-` pressions inthe opposing car will come in contact with each other and interlock to prevent the'cars climbing or telescoping of a similar feature to the buffer casting.

i The difficulty in such applicati-ibn consists in the fact that the'buiiing faces of these castings are in direct Contact under normal conwhich must 'normally occur on account ofv irregularities in the track or variations in the height of cars. I overcome this difficulty by providing the forward end 'of the buliing I member with anti-climbing ribs or corrugations 5", which I normally cover over by af--plateinemb'er 6. The plate member isv -suitably secured tothe buiiing member and has a smooth buiiing face. The plate memberG'is of suiiicient strength t-o resist all ordinary shocks and wear incident to its face.

portions of the member 6 which bridge over buffers. The corrugations of the two bufiing members will then interlock and will act in their intended man-ner.-

, ltwill be obvious'that various changes can be. made i'n the form of the several castings;

and. inthe ni'anner of seating' and arrang-v ing the buer springs; that various forms Y of draft riggings and couplers may be used, ytogether with different guiding connections 2. In a draft gear,.,a rigid buffer segment,

a main buffer member having a split or forked shank embracing said segment,- a

draft member, and buffer springs interposed between the main buffer member and the draft member, the draft member having a downwardly offset draft rigging .pocket underneath the buffer segment and a draft rigging and coupler, substantially as described.

3. In a'draftgear,` a car underframe having forwardly diveiging center sills and a rigid buifer segment extending transversely radially swinging between the -diverging sills at theforward end portions thereof and taking the place of the end sill, a main butfer'member having a forked -shank embracing said segment and arranged to have buiiing contact. therewith, a

' radially swinging draft member, and a draft rigging land coupler carried by said draft member, substantially as described.

4. In'a draft gear, a rigid buffer segment, a main buer member arranged to have buiing` contact with said segment,'a radially swinging draft member and buiiing springs interposed between the draft `member and 40 the main buiing member, the drafttmembe'r having a downwardly offset draft rigging pocket underneath the buffer segment, said pocket having a lsupport on the main buffe-r member, substantially as described.

5. In a draft gear,'a draft member, and a buffer mounted on-the draft member, said buffer having a member provided with de pending lateral jaws which support the forward end of the draft member; substantially 'i 50 las described.

. 6. In a draft gear, a rigid buffer segment,

a main buffer member having a sliding sup-` port on said segment, and also arranged to .have bufling Contact therewith, .a radially swinging draft member, buffer springs ,in-

terposed between the main buffer member and the draft member, said draft member plerhaving means for permitting movement of the draft -riggingand coupler,

havingV a'. draft rigfging pocket extending underneath the bu er segment and supported thereby, and a draft rigging and coupler, thesupport for said rigging and couvertical substantially as described.

`7. vIn avdraft gear, a rigid buffer segment, a main buffer member arranged to have buiiing contact with said segment, a radially swinging draftirnember having a draft rigging pocket extending underneath the buffer segment and supported thereby,

and a filler.

for the main-buffer member having means for supporting the draft rigging pocket;

'substantially as described.

8, In a draft gear, a main buffer casting having a divided shank forming prongs, and

a filler for said shank comprising members arranged to be inserted at opposite sides, said filler members having integral supports for a draft member and acting as spacers for the prongsof the buffer shank and also as housings and seats for the buffer springs; substantially as described.

9. In a draft gear, a main buffer member having a divided shank, andal filler for said shank having portions adapt-ed to form a supportv for a draft rigging case; .substantially as described.

10. In a draft gear, a draft member, a

buffer, the draft member having its forward portion extending underneath the buffer and provided with means for the attachment of la draft rigging and coupler thereto, the

buffer having a 'member provided with depending lateral jaws and the draft member having vsupporting members engaging the jaws, substantially as described.

11. A builing member having its baiting end provided withanti-climbing projections, and a separate bufling member covering said projections land arranged to crush under abnormal shocks, substantially as described.

12. A butling member having its buiiing end provided with anti-climbing proj ectioiis, and a second bufling member secured to the vfirst .named member and having portions bridging the spaces between said projections andof a character to crush underA abnormal shock, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY T. KRAKAU. Witnesses:

HARRY E. ORR,

GRACE E. CUNNiNG'roN.

ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patenti, i' Washington, D. C. 

